April 15-19, 2009 | winnipegcomedyfestival.com

OfficiAl press Kit

press releAse

DOZeNs Of cOMeDiANs DesceND UpON citY fOr 8tH WONDer cOMeDY festFebruary 24, 2009 (Winnipeg) – A mob of Comedic Kings is set to descend upon Winnipeg, and our comedy crew has been working around the clock to contain the chaotic creatures and put them on display throughout the city from April 15-19, 2009.

Exciting changes are coming down the pipeline for the 2009 CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival. We have partnered with Frantic Films to produce the TV broadcasts of our galas which will air, as always, on CBC. This year’s galas will become one-hour television specials which means the live galas are packed with comedic talent!

Thursday, April 16 don’t miss the Savings and Groans gala hosted by Kevin O’Leary, a real-life dragon from the hit CBC series Dragon’s Den. Other cash-grabbers include “That Canadian Guy” Glen Foster, Whose Line Is It Anyway’s Kathryn Greenwood, festival fave Tim Steeves and more.

Friday gets a little freaky when we present a double bill – two galas for one fantastic ticket price! First up is the Holiday Show, hosted by Royal Canadian Air Farce alum Don Ferguson and featuring Sean Cullen, Deb McGrath and many other holiday hijinxers. After a short intermission, hold onto your seats for the fantastic Queer as Jokes gala hosted by Elvira Kurt and featuring several acts including Bob Smith and Winnipeg’s own Trevor Boris.

Saturday we present two individual galas; the early evening gala at 6:45pm features Seven Deadly Sins with ringmaster Andy Jones and vixens of vice Tim Nutt, Teresa Pavlinek and Deb DiGiovanni and others. The late gala Cradle to Grave, starts at 9:15pm with that other krazy Kid Kevin McDonald. Featuring Mike Bullard, Mark Little & Andrew Bush from Picnicface, and more.

Over the lifespan of the festival, our Best of the Fest show continues to grow in popularity to the point that this year, we’ve moved it to the Pantages Playhouse. This fantastic gala, on Sunday, April 19th at 7pm, is also a celebration of the Gas Station Theatre’s 25th anniversary. With host Big Daddy Tazz and performers Deb DiGiovanni, Marc Maron, Jeb Fink and many more, it’s going to be a party you don’t want to miss!

Other festival highlights include the return of our partner Rumor’s Comedy Club; the always popular Winnipeg Show at the Gas Station Theatre; live recordings at the WAG of two hit CBC Radio series The Debaters and WireTap; and our always sold-out French Gala at the CCFM. We’re hitting the Park Theatre this year with some great new programming including the titillating, no-holds-barred Gender Panel moderated by female-to-male transsexual writer Meryn Cadell. We’re also offering fantastic free programming at the Millennium Library and McNally Robinson Booksellers, and our French and English rural tours will visit four towns each in March. Check out our website for full details (www.winnipegcomedyfestival.com).

This year’s festival is sure to be the 8th Wonder of the World... or at least of Winnipeg. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.ca or 780-3333. Early bird pricing in effect until March 20th.

The CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival is produced by the Osborne Village Cultural Centre, home of the Gas Station Theatre.

For further information, please contact: Anne Dawson, Director of Marketing & Communications (204) 229-2762 or anne@winnipegcomedyfestival.com

Alert

MAY DAY!! MAY DAY!! MAY DAY!!

Okay, April Days is more like. The 15th-19th - to be exact.

It’s always a challenge wondering how far to push the marketing themes before people start going ape on you! Stop me, please. I’ve been swinging on too many monkey bars. Seriously, stop me, before I start throwing poop.

Welcome to year eight. This is the year I begin to wonder what to write next. I think I’ve said before: this is our biggest and best festival ever!!! But this time, I mean it.

But seriously, I think we’re all reinvigorated by the addition of Frantic Films and CBC Television’s continued support of the Winnipeg Festival as part of their winter schedule. Not to mention CBC Radio and our friends at CKSB who punch about their weight every year. The Casino! The Fairmont! The Funders! What depression? I say.

Yadda Yadda money’s tight, layoffs, global meltdown etc… Our King Kong theme speaks to more than the 8th wonder of the world. We all need a laugh more than ever.

What a team we have, and how lucky we are to do what we do. I think you’ll find this year’s lineup one of our best ever and this festival our biggest and brightest. (Spoiler Alert: thirty-year-old pop culture reference coming up)

As Barretta* used to say: You can take that to the bank!

Brought to you by Al Rae

*Barretta (noun) Awesome 70’s cop show with Robert Blake. Found innocent by a jury of murdering his wife.

See O.J. Simpson.

cOlOssAl cOMics

KEVIN MCDONALD After meeting in Toronto at the Second City Training Centre, McDonald founded Kids in the Hall with friend Dave Foley. In 1988 the kids get their own HBO special and the tv show started the next year. The Kids shot a movie, Brain Candy, in 1995, a year after the television series ended. He has appeared on The Martin Short Show, Ellen, That ‘70’s Show, Seinfeld, Friends, NewsRadio, Arrested Development and Corner Gas. In 2006 McDonald hosted a CBC TV special, featuring several of Canada’s best sketch comedy troupes. Sketch with Kevin McDonald won a Canadian Comedy Award (Best Taped Live Performance – The Minnesota Wrecking Crew), with The Imponderables nominated for the same award. Kevin was recently in Montreal as a part of the Just for Laughs Festival with the reunion of Kids in the Hall, and also with his solo show Hammy and the Kids with Craig Northey, based on his 2 dysfunctional families, his Dad “Hammy” and the Kids in the Hall.

DON FERGUSON Don is a well-known Canadian writer, actor, comedian and producer. He joined the Jest Society, an improvisational comedy ensemble in 1971. In 1973, the Jest Society became the Royal Canadian Air Farce and made their first appearance on CBC Radio. The Air Farce continued to perform on radio and television until 2008, becoming one of the most popular and beloved comedy troupes in Canadian history. Don’s most famous and memorable Air Farce characters are Lucien Bouchard, the Chicken Cannon’s Col. Stacy, Bill Clinton, Bob Dylan, and most prime ministers. Don has written and directed documentary programs for CBC television, a science-fiction series for radio, a political farce for the stage (Skin Deep), and a stage drama about the ill-fated World War II raid on the French port of Dieppe. Don is a popular after-dinner entertainer, and a keen sailor.

ANDY JONES Well-known in Canada as a member of the groundbreaking Newfoundland comedy troupe CODCO, in both its theatrical and television incarnations, Andy Jones has been a professional writer and actor for over thirty years. Born in St. John’s Newfoundland, Andy co-founded the Resource Centre for the Arts at the L.S.P.U. Hall, co-writing, acting in, and directing many original productions. Andy has co-written and performed in TV’s Kids in the Hall, Dooley Gardens, The Cathy Jones Special, and Nasty Habits. In film he played principal roles in Rare Birds, Brain Candy, Extraordinary Visitor, A Secret Nation, Paint Cans, Life With Billy, Coleslaw Warehouse, and The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood (which he also co-wrote and directed). He has also written five critically acclaimed one-man comedy shows: Out of the Bin, Still Alive, King O’ Fun, To The Wall, and An Evening with Uncle Val and toured extensively across Canada, the UK, and Ireland. Andy’s numerous awards include five nominations and two Gemini awards, two Emmy nominations, two Genie nominations, election to the Newfoundland Arts Council Hall of Honour, The Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council’s Award of Excellence, and the ACTRA Award of Excellence for Lifetime Achievement.

cOlOssAl cOMics

KEVIN O’LEARY Kevin O’Leary is a Canadian entrepreneur and venture capitalist. After working briefly as an assistant product manager at Nabisco Brands, he left to pursue a career in television production and became a founding partner in Special Event Television, an independent production company that produced original sports programming such as The Original Six, Don Cherry’s Grapevine and Bobby Orr and the Hockey Legends. Kevin has founded a software publisher which has since been sold to Mattel and been co-investor and director of Storage Now, a leading developer of climate controlled storage facilities. In March 2007 he joined the advisory board of Genstar Capital LLC. Kevin also serves on the executive board of The Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. He is also a frequent co-host on Business News Network, Canada’s national business television specialty channel. Kevin is currently working as the entrepreneur/investor co-host for the Discovery Channel’s Discovery Project Earth a new program that explores innovative ways man could reverse global warming. Along with Amanda Lang, O’Leary co-hosts SqueezePlay on BNN. He also hosts a O’Leary Live, a call-in show on BNN, and is one of the venture capitalists on the Canadian version of Dragons’ Den which airs on CBC and CBC Newsworld.

MIKE BULLARD Mike Bullard accomplished something no other Canadian had before: hosted Canada’s first truly successful nightly talk show. Running for six unprecedented seasons, Open Mike (1997) was one of the longest running late-night talk shows in North America. The Gemini award-winning series was the most-watched late-night talk show in Canada’s largest market, comparable in popularity and success to late-night heavyweights Letterman and Leno. One of Canada’s most recognized celebrities, Mike Bullard is a multi- disciplinary comic who has published a book, Open Book: Little Thoughts from a Big Head (Doubleday), and has also recorded a CD, “Stick 2 Comedy” (BMG). Recognized as “Favourite Talk Show Host” by the readers of TV Guide, Mike Bullard has come a long way from the grind of Canada’s comedy club circuit, where for over a decade he cultivated a reputation as one of the quickest and cleverest club wits in the country. Currently Mike is in development of a game show for divorced people called “Alimoney” and signed a co-production deal for the show with Just for Laughs in conjunction with Jack Ruby Productions.

ELVIRA KURT The Second City Alumnus has had many years of comedic success in Canada and the US. Elvira has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and her comedy specials have aired on Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, CTV, CBC and The Comedy Network. Elvira was voted Funniest Female Comedian at the Canadian Comedy Awards and received a Gemini nomination for her one hour comedy special Elvira Kurt: I’m a Big Girl Now. The special also nabbed the Gold Award at the Worldfest International Film Festival. Kurt starred in The Comedy Network series Elvira Kurt: Adventures in Comedy, has performed live in the Vagina Monologues and made 4 performances at Montreal’s prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. One of North America’s hottest college acts, Elvira Kurt has been nominated as both U.S. College Comedian and Entertainer of the Year. With over 300 shows to her name, there is still no end in sight. No slouch in the writing department, Kurt contributed to the CBS pilot and HBO special for Ellen DeGeneres. And... she does it all without caffeine!

GAlA KOMeDiANs

GALA HOSTS DEB DIGIOVANNI DON FERGUSON ANDY JONES KEVIN MCDONALD KEVIN O’LEARY ELVIRA KURT BIG DADDY TAzz

KINGS OF KOMEDY IRWIN BARKER JASON BECK TREVOR BORIS MARTIN BRUYÈRE MIKE BULLARD ANDREW BUSH MERYN CADELL BRUCE CLARK SEÁN CULLEN YAN DALLAIRE VINCENT DUREAULT SAM EASTON JEBB FINK DIANE FLACKS GLEN FOSTER CAROLE FREYNET - GAGNÉ JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN KATHRYN GREENWOOD JONNY HARRIS MARYELLEN HOOPER HOT THESPIAN ACTION SABRINA JALEES DEAN JENKINSON MARIETTE KIROUAC NATALIE LABOSSIÈRE CLARE LAWLOR DAN LICOPPE

MARK LITTLE MARC MARON JEFF MCENERY DEB MCGRATH AARON MERKE DARCY MICHAEL BRAD MUISE TIM NUTT ALAN PARK STEVE PATTERSON TERESA PAVLINEK ROB PUE AL RAE MICHEL ROY ED SAHELY JEFF SINCLAIR ALLYSON SMITH BOB SMITH RON SPARKS TIM STEEVES TOM STEFFEN GEORGE WESTERHOLM PETER WILDMAN THE WILLIAMSON PLAYBOYS JONATHAN WILSON JOHN WING

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WeDNesDAY, April 15

Opening Night Gala McPhillips Street Station Casino 8pm

Host: Deb DiGiovanni Ron Sparks, Elvira Kurt, Glen Foster

Our annual Opening Night Gala is presented by Casinos of Winnipeg! Hosted by Last Comic Standing finalist Deb DiGiovanni, with That Canadian Guy Glen Foster, the sharp wit of Elvira Kurt and Video on Trial’s Ron Sparks! Must be 18 or over to attend. ID may be required.

Tickets: $21.95

tHUrsDAY, April 16

Outreach Programming: Millennium Library 12noon (FREE!)Join us on your lunch hour with Deb DiGiovanni for some light comedy fare. All ages welcome.

Drôlement Vôtres 7 CCFM 7:30pm

Host: Vincent Dureault Michel Roy, Yan Dallaire, Martin Bruyère, Mariette Kirouac, Natalie Labossière et Carole Freynet-Gagné

Tickets: $15 at CCFM 233-ALLO

Thursday Night Gala Pantages Playhouse Theatre 7:15pm

Theme: Savings & Groans Host: Kevin O’Leary Glen Foster, Mark Little & Andrew Bush (of Picnicface), Tim Steeves, Peter Wildman, Kathryn Greenwood, Tom Steffen & Alan Park

Tickets: Earlybird - $34.95 After March 20 -$39.95

friDAY, April 17

Outreach Programming: Millennium Library 12noon (FREE!)Join us on your lunch hour with Bob Smith for some light comedy fare. All ages welcome.

Friday Night Super Gala Pantages Playhouse Theatre 7:15pm

Act I Theme: The Holiday ShowHost: Don Ferguson Sean Cullen, Allyson Smith, Peter Wildman, Deb McGrath, Rob Pue & Jonny Harris

Act II Theme: Queer as JokesHost: Elvira Kurt Trevor Boris, Jonathan Wilson, Diane Flacks, Ed Sahely, Bob Smith & Darcy Michael Tickets: Earlybird - $34.95 After March 20 -$39.95

Kings of Komedy Early Show with Marc Maron Rumor’s Comedy Club 7:45pmRumor’s joins forces with the Wpg Comedy Fest for a fantastic night of laughs. 18+ only.Tickets: $19.95

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The Winnipeg Show Gas Station Theatre 10:30pm

Host: Bruce Clark Dean Jenkinson, Trevor Boris, Aaron Merke, Dan Licoppe, Irwin Barker & Jason BeckSome of Winnipeg’s finest talent return to their home stage and join forces to make one super giant discount-shopper comedian... Or maybe just perform their own funny sets.

Tickets: $15.00

Kings of Komedy Late Show with Glen Foster Rumor’s Comedy Club 10:30pm

Tickets: $15.00

sAtUrDAY, April 18

The Debaters Winnipeg Art Gallery 1pm

Host: Steve PattersonA live recording of the CBC Radio hit series The Debaters finds comics going toe to toe debating topics in the news on & the minds of listeners. Tickets: $21.95

Outreach Programming: Millennium Library 3pm (FREE)Just for the kids, comedian & author Seán Cullen will be reading from his award-winning trilogy Hamish X.

Gender Panel Park Theatre 4pm

Moderator: Meryn Cadell Panel: Trevor Boris, Al Rae & Clare LawlorProvocative & humourous, this panel will touch on subjects across the entire gender spectrum. Moderated by Meryn Cadell, a female-to-male transsexual writer and performance artist. Put your cellphones on vibrate, this show’s gonna be hot! 18+ only.

Tickets: $15.00

Outreach Programming: McNally Robinson, Polo Park (FREE)

2pm - Bob Smith & John Wing, 4pm - Seán Cullen & Andy Jones

Saturday Night Evening Gala Pantages Playhouse Theatre 6:45pm

Theme: The Seven Deadly SinsHost: Andy Jones Deb DiGiovanni, Jeff McEnery, Marc Maron, Ron Sparks, Tim Nutt & Brad Muise

Tickets: Earlybird - $34.95 After March 20 -$39.95

Kings of Komedy Early Show with Steve Patterson Rumor’s Comedy Club 7:45pmRumor’s joins forces with the Wpg Comedy Fest for a fantastic night of laughs. 18+ only.

Tickets: $19.95

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Park At The Park Park Theatre 8pm

Host: Alan Park Hot Thespian Action, Jeff Sinclair, Sabrina JaleesA tribute to Winnipeg Comedy, hosted by Air Farce’s Alan Park and featuring local faves Hot Thespian Action along with disgruntled letter writer, Jeff Sinclair, will be taped as a special for CBC’s Laugh Out Loud with Sabrina Jalees.

Tickets: $15.00

Saturday Night Late Gala Pantages Playhouse Theatre 9:15pm

Theme: Cradle to the GraveHost: Kevin McDonald Big Daddy Tazz, John Wing, Mark Little & Andrew Bush (of Picnicface), Maryellen Hooper, The Williamson Playboys, Teresa Pavlinek & Mike Bullard

Tickets: Earlybird - $34.95 After March 20 -$39.95

The Dark and Stormy Show Park Theatre 10:30pm

Host: Tim Nutt Rob Pue, Marc Maron, Tim Steeves, Sam Easton, Allyson Smith, Tom SteffenQuite simply our most scintillating, dirtiest show. 18+ only.

Tickets: $21.95

Kings of Komedy Late Show with Jonny Haris Rumor’s Comedy Club 10:30pm

Tickets: $15.00

sUNDAY, April 19

The Debaters Winnipeg Art Gallery 1pm

Host: Steve PattersonA live recording of the CBC Radio hit series The Debaters finds comics going toe to toe debating topics in the news on and the minds of listeners Tickets: $21.95

Outreach Programming: Gas Station Theatre 4pm (FREE) Comedians John Wing & Bob Smith read excerpts from their recent books. Some readings are autobiographical and therefore this event is not suitable for children.

Best of the Fest Gala Pantages Playhouse Theatre 7pm Host: Big Daddy Tazz Deb DiGiovanni, John Wing, Marc Maron, Bob Smith, Tim Nutt, Jonny Harris, Alan Park, Rob Pue & Jebb Fink A selection of the festival’s best perform a gala in celebration of the Gas Station Theatre’s 25th anniversary.

Tickets: Earlybird - $34.95 After March 20 -$39.95

Wire Tap Winnipeg Art Gallery 7pm

Host: Jonathan Goldstein A live recording of the CBC radio series WireTap - a weekly half-hour of conversation, and storytelling culled from equal parts real-world experience and the warp of Goldstein’s imagination.

Tickets: $21.95

*Line-up subject to change**All shows PG13 unless otherwise indicated.

ON tHe lOOse

2009 – free OUtreAcH prOGrAMMiNG

McNally Robinson Booksellers –Grant ParkThursday April 9th at 7pmWinnipeg Comedy Festival’s Artistic Director Al Rae and Winnipeg-born writer and comedian Dean Jenkinson rev up the crowds a week before the festival kicks off.

Addictions Foundation of ManitobaWednesday April 15th (private event) – Al Rae and Marc Maron

Millennium LibraryThursday April 16th with Deb DiGiovanni and Friday April 17th with Bob Smith at 12 noon.Join us on your lunch hour for some light comedy fare. All ages welcome. Saturday April 18th at 3pmJust for the kids, comedian and author Seán Cullen will be reading from his award-winning trilogyHamish X. All ages welcome.

McNally Robinson Booksellers – Polo ParkSaturday April 18th - Join us for two book-signing events.

2pm - Bob Smith & John Wing4pm - Seán Cullen & Andy Jones

Stop by with a book written by one of our visiting comedians or pick one up in store and have it signed by your favorite funny author. 2pm Signing: Adult Content – Please Be Advised

Gas Station TheatreSunday April 19th at 4pmComedians Bob Smith and John Wing read excerpts from their recent books. Some readings are autobiographical and therefore this event is not suitable for children.

* The line-up of performers is subject to change. Rural Tours

Laughter is universal and though we’re not taking our festival across the globe, we are happy to be making it more accessible to all in Winnipeg. For the eight years the Winnipeg Comedy Festival has been around, we’ve been holding outreach performances leading up to and during the festival. This year we are offering a number of exciting outreach events and performances.

ON tHe lOOse

eNGlisH rUrAl tOUr

Clearwater - Tazz & FriendsDate: Tuesday, March 17, 2009Times: Improv at High School: 2:10pm - 3:10pmEvening show to start at 8:00pmLocation: Clearwater Memorial HallTickets: $20, available through Jackie Johnson, 873-2646

Winkler - Dan Licoppe, Matt FalkDate: Wednesday, March 18, 2009Time: 7:30 pmLocation: PW Enns Centennial Concert Hall, 783 Mountain Ave. WinklerTickets: $15, available at Centennial Ticket Office, 185 Main Street Winkler OR online at www.winklerconcerthall.ca

Rossburn - Tazz & FriendsDate: Friday, March 20, 2009Time: 8pmLocation: Rossburn Town HallTickets: $15, available at the Rossburn Pharmacy, 859-3172

Carberry - Tazz & FriendsDate: Saturday, March 21, 2009Time: 8pmLocation: Carberry Legion Hall, Main StreetTickets:$20, available at East End, Arts Council Office, Library, and at the door!

freNcH rUrAl tOUr

Host Vincent DureaultMichel Roy, Yan Dallaire, Carole Freynet-Gagne, Mariette Kirouac, Natalie Labossiere et Martin Bruyère

Le 27 mars/MarchLaBroquerie Hôtel LaBroquerie19h30, portes ouvrent/doors open à 19hBillets/tickets 10$ Le 28 mars/MarchSaint-Georges, sous-sol de l’église/Church19h30, portes ouvrent/doors open 18h30Billets/tickets 8$ Le 29 mars/MarchSaint-Claude, hôtel Y&J Hotel19h, portes ouvrent/doors open 18h30Billets/tickets 10$ Le 17 avril/AprilShilo, gymnase de l’école La Source School Gymnasium20h, portes ouvrent/doors open 19h30Billets/tickets 10$

* The line-up of performers is subject to change.

The Winnipeg Comedy Festival is proud to once again being doing both and English and French rural tours. Some dates and locations are already confirmed, though be sure to check our website for additions.

spONsOrs

sUppOrters

The CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival is grateful for the support of its generous sponsors

fUNDiNG

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